Mortgages with Arrears

Can I get a mortgage with Arrears?

If you’ve had debt arrears, whether secured or unsecured, you’d be right to assume this would make getting a mortgage more difficult than normal but it is possible.

Most high street lenders would not consider your application.

This is where a specialist adverse credit mortgage advisor, such as myself, comes in.

I work with a wide range of adverse lenders who can offer mortgages to those who have been in arrears.

How much can I borrow on a mortgage with arrears?

You could borrow up to 75% with unlimited mortgage, secured or unsecured payments, provided you have not missed payments within the last 12 months and any missed before then are paid up to date.

What arrears can I have for a mortgage?

Arrears fall into two camps and are treated differently:

• Unsecured – if late or missed payments are from a credit card or car loan for example, and are not secured on your property (unsecured) they are counted when the lender carries out a credit score on you. Your score will determine what interest rate the lender will charge or if your score is too low, they may decline you for a mortgage altogether.
• Secured – loans secured on a property such as a Mortgage or Second Charge are treated differently with lenders looking very closely at your payment history.

What if I only have one missed payment?

Missing the odd payment on a credit card they will accept – missing payments with your current mortgage lender or on a secured loan is not a good start when trying to impress a new lender.

Generally though, you can have 1 missed or late payment in the last year with no more than 3 missed or late in 3 years up to 85% loan to value.

If however you have a reason for going above these limits such as redundancy or illness, or the missed payments were of a short duration and your credit before and afterwards was OK, I know Building Societies who might consider you for a mortgage if you have arrears.

Will lenders credit check my mortgage application?

They underwrite manually, meaning they do not rely on a computer or credit score and each application is individually assessed by an underwriter.

This approach works well if you can demonstrate your adverse history of arrears was short lived, for a clearly identifiable reason and since then you have conducted your finances well.

When it comes to your credit worthiness, always ensure you make the monthly payments on time, every time, Avoid any arrears if you plan to remortgage or purchase a new home in the future.

Using a broker for a mortgage with arrears

Getting a mortgage with arrears requires an understanding of lending criteria from different mortgage providers.

Using a specialist broker can help with this, as the broker will know each lender’s individual criteria, allowing you to choose the right lender first time, and get the best deal available for your given situation.

For more information on how I can help you find a mortgage when you have arrears, please call me on: 07949 713563 or complete my online Enquiry Form.

I also have other posts to help with other types of adverse credit mortgages such as mortgage with defaults or mortgage with a debt management plan.